Leaders adopt AI for business benefits, not just to automate jobs away, research says

More companies are adopting artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the customer experience, according to 451 Research.

Organizations are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for its business benefits, not with the intention to eliminate jobs through automation, according to 451 Research’s Voice of the Enterprise (VoTE): AI & Machine Learning – Adoption, Drivers and Stakeholders 2018 survey on Thursday. The report surveyed approximately 550 IT end-user decision-makers from small, midsize, and large enterprises around the world.

Almost 50% of respondents had already deployed or planned to deploy machine learning in their companies within the next year. While many reports focus on the negative aspects of machine learning, the successes portray a more realistic picture of machine learning adoption in companies, Nick Patience, founder and research vice president for software at 451 Research, said in the press release.

“Despite all the hype around mass job losses, lowering costs was cited by only a quarter of our survey respondents,” said Patience in the release. “We think this demonstrates that AI and machine learning is an omni-purpose technology that can bring numerous benefits to organizations, beyond just lowering costs through increased automation.”

Even though machine learning proved to be successful for some companies, barriers to successful adoption still exist. Some 36% of respondents reported a shortage of skilled resources to be the largest barrier in adoption. However, this skills gap will most likely decrease as the tools become more familiar and integrated in companies, said the post.